'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [‎482] (513/1050)

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DAR—MR
The Abahi, Asajrah, Burish, Fahrawi, Lunaisi, Ras and Suwailmat are known as A1
Hathrah and are controlled by Faris-ibn-Tahir, the most important of the Fartus Shaiks,
The 'Attas and the Ziyarah are under the control of Rukn ibn Musa and Mukallaf ibn
Shukair.
It has been arranged with the Azairij and Majid that the Fartus should occupy Ja'far
as Saghir, a small island on the eastern fringe of the marsh opposite Ja'far al Kabir, and
1 for grazing purposes should go south-west of Saighal in the Chabaish direction. They
have recognised settlements in Majid's territory at 'Adl and 'Aqr. Faris lives mostly
on Ja'far as Saghir in Majid's territory, and Majid is responsible also for Mukallaf. One
small section of the tribe live on the Tigris immediately south-west of Ezra's Tomb.
The Fartus number probably 2,500 men (rifles) but are not united.
BARSAH—
See Dawasir (Widyan); Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Dawasir sub-district-
DARSAIT—
A Village in the Masqat District of 'Oman. The southern portion is about IJ miles
from Matrah by a tolerable track ; the northern portion is situated on the beach of
Darsait Bay and is 2[ miles from Matrah. From here one can row round to Matrah
in forty minutes. In normal times the population of the southern portion is about 50,
and of the northern,- 80 souls, but from June to August both parts of the village are
i practically deserted, the inhabitants being away date-picking. The southern portion
consists of 7 huts with mud walls and 23 of palm leaves ; the northern portion, of
3 with mud walls and 60 or 70 of palm leaves.
The water-supply is from wells as follows
No. 1 ; 25 feet deep ; water 4 feet deep and drinkable.
No. 2 ; 30 feet deep ; water 10 feet deep and drinkable.
About | an acre of cultivation round this well.
No. 3 ; 20 feet deep; not in use at present; water stagnant.
No. 4 ; 30 feet deep ; chief well of the village, all the drinking water being
obtained from it.
No. 5; 22 feet deep; very large well with ample water of good quality.
Wells 4 and 5 stand in cultivated patches 250 yards long by 80 yards broad.
No. 6 ; suitable for washing purposes only; about ^ an acre of cultivation round it.
No. 7 ; 25 feet deep ; large supply of drinkable water.
No. 8 ; 20 feet deep ; supply ample, suitable for watering 10 animals at a tfme;
f of an acre of cultivation.
All the wells are bricked, and most of them have tanks adjoining where animals
could be watered if the ground level were raised about a foot. There is room for
about 8 to 10 horses at a time. Cultivation consists chiefly of iuceme and a sort of
guinea-grass which are grown amongst the date palms.
There are no shops or supplies in Darsait, everything being brought from Matrah,
There is a large quantity of brushwood on the slopes of the hills west of the valley.
Livestock comprises about 20 cows and bullocks, of which the latter work at wells;
20 goats and 10 donkeys. There are usually about 20 camels. Poultry fairly plen
tiful.— {Murphy.)
BARU'—
Singular Dara'i. A tribe of the 'Oman Sultanate belonging to the Ghafiri faptiofl:
originally they were all nomads of the Ruba '-al-Khalf, but some are now settled at
Tana am and other places in Dhahirah. Estimates of their numbers differ very widely ;
those in Dhahirah may amount to 3,000 souls of whom about one-third are settled.
There are also a few at Barkah in Batinah. The Bedouin portion now frequent the
neighbourhood of Jabal Hamrah. They are a wild and predatory race and hardly
a rising of the eastern tribes occur in which the Daru' are not involved. The Bedouin
portion are said to belong to the Ibadhi, the settled portion to the Sunni sect. The
Be oum Daru rear large numbers of camels which they graze on the confines of the
Great Desert. The following are the sections of the Daru ? : Badiwai, Batun,
± araclis, Hadi (Hal Bu), Janin, Khamis (Hal), Khamls (Yal), Mahabinah, Maharidah,